Bayern Munich legend Thomas Muller has claimed that Michael Olise is ahead of Harry Kane in the race to win the Ballon d'Or. Muller, who played alongside both Olise and Kane for the German giants, has gone against the grain with his prediction.
Kane's Stellar Season
England captain Kane is the bookies' favourite after scoring an incredible 61 goals for Bayern this season. Despite the striker's phenomenal campaign, Olise won the Bundesliga player of the year award. The Frenchman racked up 15 goals and 19 assists in just 32 Bundesliga appearances. Bayern also won the DFB Pokal, thanks to Kane's hat-trick in the final, and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Muller's Reasoning
Each of their performances at the World Cup will no doubt go a long way to deciding who wins the Ballon d'Or, but for now, Muller is backing Olise because of his more 'artistic' style of play. "Generally, I see Harry as the more important player, but when it comes to the vote for the world's best player, it's more for players like Michael," Muller told German outlet Bild. "With this dance-like, artistic, ease, magic quality. You can't learn that... With his finishing and attacking qualities, Harry is the best striker I currently see. He's got a wide range of qualities, but he's not a player who can dribble past four people. Michael is a player who delivers, a performer. That's why he will carry and shape this team."
Olise's Journey
Olise joined Bayern from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2024 for £50 million. The winger was close to signing for Chelsea the year before but ended up penning a new deal with Palace, although Bayern eventually won the race after he was also linked with Manchester City.
Champions League Impact
Having developed into one of the best teams in Europe, Vincent Kompany's side narrowly lost their Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain by one goal. PSG's Ousmane Dembele won the 2025 Ballon d'Or and is among the contenders again this year. Stars such as Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe, Vitinha and Declan Rice have also been tipped to claim football's biggest individual prize, which will be awarded in October. Saturday's Champions League final, which sees Rice's Arsenal take on Dembele and Vitinha's PSG, could also swing the vote.
